Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

. Alessio Chiodi (Hus) won the opening round of the FIM World Champions~p 125cc MX Series at· the French Grand Prix in Vemeuil Sur Avre, France, on March 14. Chiodi, the defending champ, won both motos en route to the overall win, followed by Great Britain's Carl Nunn (Yam) and Italy's Claudio Federici (Yam). Turning some heads in France was American Jeff Dement (Hon), who rode to a second-place finish in the second moto. Fellow American Mike Brown (Hon) rode to a seventh-place finish in the second moto. Neither Dement nor Brown earned points in the first moto. Ty Davis (Yam) scored the overall win at the second round of the AMA National Hare & Hound Championship Series at Red Mountain, California, on March 14. Finishing second was Brian Brown (Kaw), followed by Dan Richardson (Kaw), Shane Esposito (Kaw) and Russ Pearson (KTM). After four days of testing at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia, March 11-14, Repsol Honda's Tadayuki Okada emerged with the fastest 500cc Grand Prix times as the teams prepare for the opening round of the series at Sepang on April 18.. Okada lapped at 2:05.598 on the third of four days and took the final day off. Second fastest was the Marlboro Yamaha of Max Biaggi, who lapped at 2:06.410 on the final day. Then came Suzuki's Kenny Roberts Jr. (2:06.510), Marlboro Yamaha's Carlos Checa (2:06.615), Kanemoto Honda's John Kocinski (2:06.691) and five-time World Champion Mick Doohan (2:06.879). ''I'm really happy now," Biaggi said. "We found the right direction when we tested at Mugello two weeks ago. We've made another big step forward here, and I know I can go faster again when we m;ike some more adjustments. The good thing is, we've got a good base chassis set up for the bike, and that's very- important. Also, we're getting excellent endurance from the tires, and I know some of the other factories are having a harder time in this heat." Nalurally, Roberts was happy with his times - and happy to be ahead of Doohan. Roberts was the early leader on the time sheet. "I ran two consecutive laps in the 2:06 bracket, and it was an easy pace," Roberts said after the second day. "1 could go half a second quicker if 1 needed . to. I knew I could beat Mick (Doohan) today. I also know that he didn't get to be five-time World Champion by coming second a lot. All the same, it feels pretty good to know that our bike can still be fastest when he's there. But I wasn't trying to race him. This is testing, and we're trying to improve and develop the Suzuki for the racing season." And the president says... FIM president Frencesco Zerbi commented on the four-strokes-for-Grand Prix proposal during a presentation of the 1999 World Superbike Championship in Rome last week."At present, the only certainty I . have on this issue is that I have many III doubts," Zerbi said. "Every change must be carefully evaluated and must be ~ made to the benefit of the motorcycle... racing world as a whole. This is why I Q encourage and welcome contributions • from all people involved in our environ§! ment, in order to make the right and best decision. In my opinion, there is room for both four-stroke GPs and four~ stroke superbikes, but the two series ~ CD must be kept separate since e.ach of ~ them has different characteristics: four2 stroke GP machinery must remain pro- II I ::! ct Bill Boyce, 1923-1999 ill Boyce (right), an AMA official for more than five decades and a respected friend of motorcycling, died on March 9 at the age of 76. "Bill Boyce has been a mentor, a leader and a friend to all of us in professional racing," said Merrill Vanderslice, AMA director of professional racing, in a press release issued by the AMA. "History will record his contributions to the sport. Motorcycling has lost one of its best friends." Boyce's love of motorcycling started when he was a youngster growing up iI]. Daytona, Ohio. After returning from duty with the U.S Navy in the South Pacific during World War Il, Boyce began a professional racing career on a variety of machines, including Harley-Davidsons and Nortons, often with his trademark cigar clenched between his teeth. He was recalled by the military for service in Korea, then took up racing again upon his return home. After retiring from competition in the late '50s, Boyce remained active in the Dayton Motorcycle Club while working for several motorcycle dealers. He also volunteered his time to help run both professional and amateur racing for the AMA. He rose through the ranks of AMA officials and served as a national referee before joining the AMA staff as a full-time employ~ in 1971. Throughout the rapid growth of motorcycle racing in the '70s and 'BOs, Boyce helped foster professional competition in a variety of positions within the AMA, including a stint as director of professional competition. Through it all, he never missed a chance to attend a race and lend a hand to racers and officials B alike. He was elected to the FIM, where he serv~d for more than 20 years and made hundreds of friends for the AMA and motorcycling in many countries. In his later years of FIM service, Boyce focused his efforts on speedway racing. When he retired from the international organization in late 1996, delegates from more than 60 na tions named him an honorary member of the FIM's track racing commission, a ti tie awarded to only three other individuals in the FIM's 9O-year history. Boyce retired from his full-time position at the AMA in 1990 but continued as a part-time consultant for AMA pro racing until the day he died. Boyce oversaw the speedway and professional hillclimb programs in recent years, yet spent many weekends riding his street bike to any and all local races. Boyce received the AMA's Professional Sportsman of the Year Award in 1993 for his tireless efforts in promoting racing. In 1996, he received the AMA's highest honor, the Dud Perkins Award, for his lifelong service to motorcycling. In making that presentation, AMA 'president Ed Youngblood said, "Few people involved in pro racing during the past 50 years have gone untouched by the positive influence Bill Boyce has had on the sport and on the AMA." Boyce is survived by his wife of many years, Ann; his grandson, Tommy; and many other relatives and friends. Memorial services were held for Boyce in Westerville, Ohio, on March 13. Expressions of sympathy can be sent to the family in care of the AMA, 13515 Yarmouth Drive, Pickerington, OH 43147. totypes, whereas the superbikes (category) must maintain its winning formula as a production-based category." When asked about a possible amalgamation of the two series, Zerbi said: "I see no benefit to any party currently involved in the separate championships if there were to be an amalgamation. The result of their adding up would be (less than) the result corning from their current separate stalus. In my position, I must bear in mind all aspects of the motorcycle world and work to ensure growth and progress to all different categories." home in Las Vegas, Nevada, after suffering a broken wrist, a separated shoulder and a sev'ere cut to his leg when he crashed during the team race at the Prairie Dogs Grand Prix at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, California, on March 6. '1'was in fourth gear, making time in the back section of the course, when I hit a rock," Pearson said. It is not yet known when Pearson will be able to relurn to racing. Kawasaki'Team Green's Dave Ondas was.also injured at the same race. He will also be out of action for an indefinite period of time. The new "Arrow Grid" won't be used in World Superbike this year after all, according to Cycle News contributor Paolo Gozzi. A meeting was held in Misano, Italy, on March 9 between several top World Superbike riders and SBK International president Maurizio Flammini and Claude Danis of the FIM. All the riders were against the proposed new starting grid (one rider on the front row, two on the second, three on the third and four on the remaining rows). "In this way, all riders starting from row five and more would arrive at the first corner faster than the riders statting from rows one through four," Aprilia's Peter Goddard said. "It wouldn't be safe, and the grid would be divided in two parts: factory riders in the front and privateers in the rear. Our position is clear and strong. We already have a .,strange qualifying system in World Superbike with Superpole." "We respect the riders' opinions," said Daniele Audelto of SBK International. "Arrow Grid was introduced from an idea supplied to us from the factory teams last October..This wasn't our idea, but in any case we think the Arrow Grid could be a great way to give more visibility to riders, bikes and sponsors on the grid from TV and all media. But the riders' opinions, for us, are the most important of all. Probably, the FIM will decide to test the Arrow Grid in support championship, and if this test is okay, then maybe we can think about it for the 2000 championship." . Ed

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